According to a new study published by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, one-third of students transfer to another college before earning their degree.

Another key finding of the report is that many students are "reverse transferring" by moving from traditional four-year schools to community colleges. Most students tend to transfer during their second year, and one-quarter of students move to academic institutions out of state. The report says that the transfer rate for full- and part-time students is roughly the same, and that this information should be used by colleges to provide students filling out college applications with more realistic enrollment figures in their promotional material.

Financial aid company SallieMae recently published a report that suggests more students from wealthier families are also choosing to enroll in community colleges due to financial pressures caused by increasing tuition.

If you're filling out college applications, think carefully about your choice of schools. Transferring can sometimes be a good idea, but it can also take you longer to earn your degree if you have to repeat some prerequisite classes. It's usually better to pick the right school to begin with than transfer later.